The Mets bolstered their pitching depth this week, signing right-hander Nick Burdi to a minor league deal.
Burdi, 32, made his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in 2018 and has appeared in big league games with the Pirates, Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox. He appeared in four games for Boston last season, pitching 5.1 scoreless innings while striking out five and walking two.
While the right-hander has a career ERA of 5.34, his career FIP of 3.84 suggests he’s been fairly unlucky on balls put in play.
The 6-foot-3 righty is primarily a sinker-slider pitcher, though he will mix in a four-seam fastball, which he threw 22.9 percent of the time last season, averaging about 94.0 MPH.
The Mets also signed LHP Anderson Severino, RHP Robert Stock, and OF Jose Ramos to minor league contracts, all with invites to spring training.
SAN FRANCISCO – After multiple glaring defensive lapses in the first quarter on Monday against the Utah Jazz, the Warriors are reinforcing the emphasis on game-plan discipline.
At the top of the list for any defense is knowing your (opposing) personnel, generally referred to by the acronym KYP.
The Warriors took a 9-9 record into Monday’s game, a clear sign of struggle, and immediately failed the KYP test. Atop the defensive game plan for Utah were 7-foot-1 forward Lauri Markkanen, averaging 29.2 points per game and 6-foot-4 guard Keyonte George at 23.1.
George lit up the Warriors for 15 points in the opening quarter, making all four of his 3-point attempts, perhaps because defenders were otherwise occupied.
“That shouldn’t happen in this league,” Stephen Curry said after the game.
So, the Warriors, on Tuesday, watched video of their 134-117 victory that was built on the corrective action taken over the final three quarters. They muted the Jazz in the second quarter, with a 41-20 advantage, and rode the momentum to a rout.
“What I saw as that first quarter went on was a lack of focus defensively, in terms of knowing the game plan, trying to take out George and Markkanen and really be focused on them,” Kerr said after video review and practice at Chase Center. “And we let George get four open 3s in the first quarter.”
Kerr, who late in the first quarter lit into the team for its negligence, pointed out that the game shifted toward the Warriors behind the energy and focus of Pat Spencer and Will Richard, who came off the bench and provided an immediate spark that carried the team through the pivotal quarter.
Brandin Podziemski was guilty of KYP errors, posting a team-worst minus-10 in six first-quarter minutes, but Kerr didn’t point a finger. It was notable, though, that the third-year guard remained on the bench for the pivotal quarter.
Asked specifically about Podziemski, Kerr addressed his inconsistent offense but not his inconsistent defense.
But it was clear that the team’s session on Tuesday was about understanding game plans and making the effort to follow them.
“It’s all about having accountability, and that goes from No. 1 on the roster to No. 15,” Quinten Post said. “Before the game, you agree upon a game plan, and everybody has to be held accountable. Steve was on our ass somewhere in the first quarter, and we deserved it, where we just didn’t follow the game plan. People lost their assignments.
“But it’s never one individual. It’s always as a group.”
It’s one thing to adjust on the fly and put together a stirring comeback against perpetually rebuilding Utah, which came into the Chase on the second night of a back-to-back set with a 5-11 record.
It’s another thing altogether to put together four quarters good enough to take down the Houston Rockets, who haven’t played on back-to-back dates all season and come to the Bay Area on Wednesday having won 11 of their last 13 games. They’re without Kevin Durant, but they lead the NBA in offensive rating, rank fifth in defensive rating and first in rebounding.
And their coach, Ime Udoka, ranks first in cold, hard stares.
“They are an incredible team this year,” Kerr said. “Ime has done a great job there in the last couple of years, just kind of building an identity. The size, the physicality, the defense, and what they’ve added this year, obviously, is kind of picking up off that seven-game series we had where they just pummeled us on the glass.”
Golden State prevailed in that first-round playoff series last season, and Draymond Green was a big part of the formula. There is a chance, Kerr said, that he could be available after missing the Jazz game with a slight foot sprain.
Nov 24, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) skates with the puck against the Florida Panthers during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
When losses start to mount over the course of a season, it becomes increasingly difficult for leadership to find different ways of explaining things away.
As the Nashville Predators continue to slide further into a stretch that has seen them drop eight of their last nine games, head coach Andrew Brunette is desperately seeking answers.
With each loss, those answers become more elusive.
Following the Preds’ 8-3 loss to the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers Monday night at Bridgestone Arena, Brunette addressed the team’s lack of consistency over the course of the season to reporters.
“I wish I had an answer,” Brunette said. “I think we’ve talked at length about it, we’re just not grabbing it or doing it on a nightly basis. Even from the little things, you claw yourself back and tie it, mental mistakes or lack of will in a couple different areas… we just did too many things that were not good hockey.”
The effort has been there in spurts. Nashville outshot the Panthers 39-26, including a 26-11 advantage over the last two periods. The Preds also won 57.1% of the faceoffs.
It’s the lapses and mental mistakes that have hurt as much as anything. In the last two games, the opponent’s first goal has come in the first few seconds. A.J. Greer scored the Panthers’ opening goal 11 seconds into Monday’s contest, while Brent Burns scored for Colorado 15 seconds in their game on Saturday, which the Avalanche won 3-0.
The frustration is palpable among fans and the Predators themselves. When asked where the breakdown occurred against Florida, Brunette’s answer was a terse, “11 seconds.”
In a Nov. 21 interview with the Nashville Tennesean, Preds general manager Barry Trotz expressed his frustration by stating, “I need more (expletive) from (the players)”, while defending Brunette.
“You look at the names on our roster, we should score more,” Trotz tolde Alex Daugherty of the Tennessean. “Because we have (Filip) Forsberg, (Steven) Stamkos, (Jonathan) Marchessault, we all think we’re going to score.”
Clearly, that thought process has not translated to goals. Nashville was ranked 30th in the NHL with a 2.59 goals-per-game average in 2024-25. Through 22 games this season, that average has dropped to 2.32.
The burden of responsibility isn’t just on the offense, however. The Preds have been outscored 15-3 over their last three games. The eight goals given up against Florida were the most since last April 1, when Nashville fell 8-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Juuse Saros allowed five goals on 16 shots before being pulled for the second time this season in favor of backup goalie Justus Annunen, who gave up three goals on 10 shots faced. Annunen is still looking for his first win of 2025-26.
Even the players are running out of ways to describe the Predators’ woes.
“Horrible game,” Preds captain Roman Josi said following Monday’s loss. “We just played poorly. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
Frustration among the players has been evident lately. After being scored on by Michael McCarron during a recent practice, center Ryan O’Reilly smashed his stick, and there were some extra shoves after play stoppages.
Following a Nov. 6 defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers, O’Reilly was harsh in assessing his play, telling reporters, “I can’t make a six-foot pass to save my life. You’re not going to have much success if I’m playing pathetic like that. I’ve had one good year in my career,”
O'Reilly later admitted he overreacted, saying the comments made him sound like a crybaby.
Raw emotions and harsh self-criticism is understandable given the circumstances. Unfortunately, they don’t always lead to improvement. If the Preds’ slide continues, and Trotz is serious about sticking with Brunette to lead the team, only one other option remains: revamp the roster.
That is looking more likely,. Particularly after his comments to the Tennesean.
“I know who makes mistakes,” Trotz said. “When the puck is on someone’s stick and they pass it right to (an opponent), that’s not (Andrew Brunette’s) fault.”
The task of overhauling a roster laden with older veterans carrying expensive contracts won’t be easy. While Trotz has been reluctant to use the term “rebuild) in his effort to make the roster younger, that may be required if the Preds are going to turn things around. That means the losing may continue, and it could be a while before Preds fans start to budget for buying playoff tickets.
It is said that winning is contagious. Losing is, too. If it continues, excitement among fans will dim, and players will find it more difficult to put forth a spirited effort night after night.
The top 100 hockey players aged 21-and-under feature some current NHLers and top prospects ranked 61st to 80th.
The Hockey News' Prospects Unlimited issue's annual ranking of hockey's youngest talent is compiled by Ryan Kennedy, and while he uses our Future Watch rankings as a resource, this is a completely independent compilation.
Future Watch is based on a survey of NHL scouts, while the PU Top 100 is cobbled together by Kennedy based on his projections of what the players will be once they hit their primes.
Since different positions have different prime years, take that to mean we are projecting how good these forwards will be when they are 23 or 24 years old, the defensemen when they are 24 or 25 and the goalies when they are 25 or 26.
The birth year cutoff for this year’s list is 2004. Ages noted are as of Oct. 1.
As we share the top 100 list on TheHockeyNews.com, you can see the full list with player bios and draft information for each of them right now by being a subscriber to The Hockey News and accessing the Archive or by opening the magazine if you've already received it in your mailbox.
71. Daxon Rudolph, D, 17, Prince Albert Raiders NHL Draft: 2026
A student of the game on and off the ice, Daxon Rudolph is always eager to learn and hone his craft. With the trajectory he is on right now, it may not be long before he’s schooling NHL opponents. Go to the full feature on Rudolph by clicking here.
70. Bradly Nadeau, LW, 20, Carolina Hurricanes Chicago (AHL)
69. Kashawn Aitcheson, D, 19, New York Islanders Barrie (OHL)
65. Tom Willander, D, 20, Vancouver Canucks Abbotsford (AHL)
64. Braeden Cootes, C, 18, Vancouver Canucks Seattle (WHL)
63. Michael Hage, C, 19, Montreal Canadiens Michigan (Big Ten)
62. Cole Eiserman, LW, 19, New York Islanders Boston Univ. (Big Ten)
61. Viggo Bjorck, C, 17, Djurgarden IF (Swe.) NHL Draft: 2026
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Joseph Woll wasn't happy with Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after being pulled on Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens, after allowing four goals on 25 shots.
Despite the 27-year-old having a strong game and wanting to stay in the fight, Toronto wasn't playing well in front of him. Because of that, Berube yanked Woll from the game midway through the second period to give the Maple Leafs a jolt.
"He was so pissed off at me for pulling him," Berube said on Tuesday, "but I like that. He wanted to be in there and fight, and that's good."
Woll, with a smile, added: "I was having fun battling out there, and of course, any time you get out of the net, I'm not very happy. I thought we still had a chance to come back, and I thought we were kind of getting some momentum a bit."
Instead of sitting on the bench with his team (which occurs in most NHL buildings), Woll had to sit on the other side of the ice, just outside the team's tunnel. What was it like with Canadiens fans pretty much surrounding him?
"It's a little weird," Woll smiled. "Fans are giving it to you a little bit. I mean, it's always weird when you're right next to the fans because you go from being in the game to feel like you're a spectator. It's a bit of a weird transition."
"He's been solid and it has been very good for our team, getting him back in," added Berube.
Defenseman Jake McCabe described Woll as "a very calming presence" when he's on the ice with the team. And even more so when Toronto is in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
"I think he's done a very, very good job and been good with the puck and talking to us defensemen. So, yeah, I have been talking about him quite a bit, and that all speaks true."
With a five-game road trip coming up, Woll will likely start a large chunk of the games. Probably four of the five with Dennis Hildeby getting a start on the back-to-back this weekend. When you have a goalie like Woll feeling good about himself, he gives you a chance to win games.
The Maple Leafs need to take advantage of that right now.
"I'm just trying to continue doing what I do. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I'm just sticking to that, and I think I'm confident with where I'm at," Woll said. "I feel good physically, mentally, so I'm just going to keep trenching along."
Tonight's Coast 2 Coast Tuesday NBA doubleheader on Peacock starts at 8:00 PM ET when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Orlando Magic. Then, at 11:00 PM, the LA Clippers take on the LA Lakers in a West Coast thriller.
Live coverage tonight begins at 7:30 PM. See below for additional information on how to watch tonight's game and follow all of the NBA action on NBC and Peacock. Peacock will feature 100 regular-season games throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season.
The Clippers (5-12) are off to their worst start since the 2010-2011 season when they started 3-14. The team is coming off a 120-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Ivica Zubac finished with 33 points and 18 rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard (20 points) and James Harden (19 points) also finished in double figures.
Leonard made his return on Sunday after missing ten straight games with sprains in his right ankle and foot.
However, two of the Clippers' key players are still sidelined with injury. Three-time All-Star Bradley Beal is out for the season after suffering a fractured hip on November 8. Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a sprained MCL to his right knee on November 16 and will be re-evaluated at the end of December.
LA Lakers:
The Lakers have won the last four straight games, including a 108-106 victory against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. LeBron James finished with 17 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in his first road game of the season. The 23-season NBA veteran returned to action on November 18 after missing the first 14 games of the season with sciatica.
Luka Doncic finished with a game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. He currently leads the NBA in scoring (34.5 ppg).
Tonight's game is the third of four NBA Cup group play games for both the Lakers and Clippers. They are each 2-0 in the NBA Cup and tied for the best record in West Group B.
Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.
Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.
Peacock ScoreCard:
Peacock ScoreCard turns the NBA into an interactive experience. Pick from a selection of premade cards based on what you think will happen during the game. Earn leaderboard points and see how you rank against other viewers in real-time. Click here to get started.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
NBA on NBC 2025-26 Schedule
Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a more positive update on Jonathan Kuminga on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old forward, who will miss his seventh consecutive game on Wednesday due to bilateral knee tendinitis, got back on the court and is making progress.
“He did 3-on-3 before practice and that went well,” Kerr told reporters after practice on Tuesday. “And then he took part in all of practice. Tomorrow, he will scrimmage. He won’t play in the game tomorrow but he will take part in a 5-on-5 scrimmage tomorrow evening before our game. And that will give us a good gauge for where he is.”
For the Warriors, a 5-on-5 scrimmage typically is the last hurdle before a player is cleared to return to game action.
Kerr said Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, Rick Celebrini, will watch Kuminga scrimmage and they will talk afterward to see how he feels.
Kuminga already has had a rollercoaster 2025-26 NBA season. He started the first 12 games of the season and averaged 17.2 points during that span. But his production tailed off in the last four games he played before being sidelined with the knee injury, as he averaged just 6.0 points in those contests.
“He’s got to tell you where he is,” Kerr told reporters when asked about Kuminga’s activity on Sunday (h/t ClutchPoints’ Kenzo Fukuda). “He didn’t do anything. We didn’t do scrimmages, but we did live drill work, and he barely did any of that. So, [he’s] not moving well, so the training staff [is] working with him. I have no idea what he’s doing.”
But after a couple of days and a productive day of practice, it appears Kuminga is on the right track.
“He said he’s feeling better,” Kerr told reporters. “We’ll list him as questionable for tomorrow but he’s definitely trending upward.”
The Warriors could use Green against the 11-4 Rockets, who have one of the biggest lineups in the NBA, even without Kevin Durant, who will miss Wednesday’s game to attend to a family matter.
The Rugby Football Union has no plans to begin talks with Steve Borthwick over extending his contract beyond 2027 “for the foreseeable future” despite England’s 11-match winning streak and autumn clean sweep.
Borthwick’s contract runs until the end of 2027 but with England halfway through the current World Cup cycle and currently third in the world rankings, the RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has no immediate intention of discussing an extension in a sea change from the union’s previous approach.
The right-handed ace of the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball, who recently was posted and has until Jan. 2 to sign with an MLB team, declared that he has no interest in joining San Francisco’s archrival Los Angeles Dodgers, in a recent interview with former big-league pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka on the “Hodo Station” show.
That mentality must intrigue Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey.
Imai, 27, is coming off a dominant season in which he posted a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts over 163 2/3 innings. He would be an enticing addition to any team, but it would be fascinating to see Imai enter the big leagues with San Francisco.
Regardless of where Imai lands, one thing is certain: he doesn’t want to help the Dodgers — and their international stars — win a third consecutive World Series title.
“If there were another Japanese player on the same team, I could just ask them about anything, right?” Imai said. “But that’s actually not what I’m looking for. In a way, I want to experience that sense of survival. When I come face-to-face with cultural differences, I want to see how I can overcome them on my own — that’s part of what I’m excited about.”
If Imai wants to take down the league’s best, then joining the Dodgers’ biggest rival — the Giants — makes sense.
He would get to face Los Angeles multiple times per season in heated divisional battles and would have the opportunity to test out his heater against the reigning NL MVP.
“I really want to see how much my fastball holds up against [Ohtani] — to test myself by throwing it to him,” Imai said.
Imai has around 40 days to make a decision. Time will tell if he chooses to don the Orange and Black.
‘We are not there yet,’ Mikel Arteta said on club’s standing
Bayern visit Arsenal in Champions League on Wednesday
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal remain in a “different universe” to European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich given they have yet to win the Champions League.
The Premier League leaders head into their meeting with Bayern at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday having won all four matches so far in the league phase and are the only team yet to concede a goal.
Angels lawyer Todd Theodora, right, gestures in the wrongful death trial brought against the team by the family of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who died of an overdose in 2019. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Fans of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs might want to hold their ears when the wrongful death trial brought by his widow and parents against the Angels resumes Monday.
The Angels are about to present their defense and, according to people with knowledge of the Angels' strategy, their attorneys plan to portray Skaggs as a selfish, secretive opioid addict who for years manipulated teammates and team communications director Eric Kay into obtaining illicit pills for him to chop up and snort.
Skaggs, a first-round draft pick of the Angels in 2009 out of Santa Monica High, was one year away from free agency when he died of an overdose July 1, 2019. He died after snorting a counterfeit opioid pill laced with fentanyl in his hotel room during an Angels trip to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington.
The left-handed starter was 27 and in the midst of his best season of seven in the big leagues when he died. His performance has been pointed to by Skaggs family lawyers as evidence he wasn't a drug addict, but instead an athlete who took pain pills to stay on the field.
So far, testimony in a small, spare courtroom on the ninth floor of the Orange County Superior Court has favored the plaintiffs — Skaggs' widow, Carli, and parents, Debbie Hetman and Darrell Skaggs.
Their lawyers called 21 witnesses over 24 days in court, attempting to establish that the pitcher's fatal overdose was the result of the Angels' negligent supervision of Kay, an admitted longtime opioid addict who is serving 22 years in prison for providing Skaggs with the pill.
The plaintiffs are asking for about $120 million in future earnings as well as additional millions for pain and suffering and punitive damages. Neither side is optimistic that a settlement can be reached ahead of a verdict.
Transcripts of trial testimony and interviews with people on both sides not authorized to speak publicly about the case provided a glimpse of the Angels' defense strategy and what the plaintiffs have accomplished so far.
The Angels pared down their witness list at the request of Judge H. Shaina Colover, who has insisted the case go to the jury by Dec. 15. The Angels complained that two weeks might not be long enough to present their case, giving the plaintiffs an unfair advantage, even suggesting the issue could lead to a mistrial.
Skaggs' lawyers, however, pointed out that the defense has taken longer to cross-examine witnesses than it took them to conduct the direct examinations. And Colover said a reason for the difference in the number of witnesses is that 12 people called by Skaggs' lawyers were on the witness lists of both sides.
Like an MLB manager constructing a lineup, Skaggs lawyers led by Rusty Hardin were purposeful in the order they presented witnesses. They began their case by calling a string of Angels executives to poke holes in the team's contention that they knew nothing about Kay's addiction. Key witnesses refuting those denials included Kay's wife, Camela, and Hetman.
Skaggs' lawyers also presented text messages that indicated Kay's supervisor, Tim Mead, and Angels traveling secretary Tom Taylor not only were aware of Kay's addiction, but did not act decisively to isolate him, get him into inpatient rehab or terminate his employment.
The plaintiffs called witnesses to establish that not only were the Angels negligent on how they dealt with Kay's addiction, they put his interest ahead of other employees and the organization by allowing him to continue working despite his bizarre behavior on the job.
The last witness before the court went into recess until Dec. 1 was human resources expert Ramona Powell, who testified that the Angels did not follow their own policies in evaluating and responding to Kay's behavior. She said that had the team done so, Kay could have been terminated well before 2019.
Expect Angels lead attorney Todd Theodora to counter that Skaggs violated his contract and was guilty of fraud by concealing his drug problem for years. Furthermore, Skaggs allegedly continued to pressure Kay to procure opioids for him even after Kay completed drug rehab shortly before the fateful trip to Texas.
During opening statements, Theodora said that the Angels "know right from wrong," but he is expected to assert that the case is more about what the team didn't know. Kay and Skaggs have been described as masters at concealing their drug use. The Angels contend that had the team known of their addiction, officials could have provided them with treatment and perhaps Skaggs would be alive.
Testimony has already established that the Angels immediately informed MLB that Kay told co-worker Adam Chodzko that he was in Skaggs' hotel room the night the pitcher died. Expect the Angels attorneys to take it a step further and assert that Kay might not have been prosecuted if the Angels hadn't acted so swiftly.
Witnesses expected to be called by the defense include Angels president John Carpino and former MLB general manager Dan Duquette. The jury will view video of depositions given by former Angels players C.J. Cron, Matt Harvey, Cam Bedrosian and Blake Parker if they cannot testify in person.
The testimony of players can cut both ways, as evidenced by statements made by two players who testified for the plaintiffs — current Angels outfielder and three-time most valuable player Mike Trout and former relief pitcher Mike Morin.
Trout testified that Skaggs was "like a brother" to him, that he cried when told he'd died and that he had no clue about drug use. But Trout also hedged when asked whether he had offered to pay for Kay's rehab, saying he just told him he'd help any way he could.
Morin, who pitched for the Angels from 2014 to 2017, said Kay sold him opioids "five to eight times" after an arm injury made him desperate to overcome pain and return to the mound. Yet under cross examination, Morin conceded that Skaggs was responsible for his own actions.
Carpino is responsible for the Angels' day-to-day operations and his office is adjacent to those of Mead, Taylor and formerly Kay. Duquette, former general manager of the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles, is expected to testify that Skaggs' future career earnings would have been no more than $30 million because of his drug use and history of injuries.
Skaggs' lawyers called earnings expert Jeff Fannell, a former labor lawyer for the MLB Players Assn., who testified that Skaggs would have earned between $109 million and $120 million and could still be pitching.
Kurt Helin
Vaughn Dalzell
